Chaplet



Patented May l, 1923.

- UNHTD OFFICE.

CHAPLET.

Application led May 24, 1922. Serial No. 563,453.

To all lwhom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. BoUL'roN, of Waltham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chaplets; and I do hereby declare the followmg to be a full, clear, and exact descrlption of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to chaplets such as are used in devotional exercises. The use of beads in the recitation of prayers had its origin before Christianity was known to the world. The Psalms of David were in constant use as prayers among the Jews and primitive 'Christians adopted them, the pious as well as all who, as hermits or monks. sought religious perfection recited the whole one hundred and fifty Psalms daily. Some there were who could not read and others who could not remember and these were allowed to recite the Lords Prayer the same number of times lnd to keep a record of these prayers they used belts or strings of beads. One of the most common forms of devotion in the present time is the Rosary institutedby Saint Dominic de Guzman the founder of the Order of Friars. This devotional practice by many comprises in all fifteen decades divided into three parts, and to the tive decades of each part are assigned the Mysteries of the Life of Our Lord, these being the Joyful Mysteries, including the Visitation, the Nativity of Our Lord, His Presentation in the Temple, and His Finding in the Temple;

the Sorrowful Mysteries which form the second art` and including His Bloody Sweat, is Scourging, His Crowning with Thorns, the carrying of His Cross and His Crucifixion; and lastly the Glorious Mysteries with the Resurrection of Our Lord, His Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Ghost, His Assumption of His Blessed Mother into Heaven and her Coronation. The chaplet or pair of beads as it is commonly known comprises fifty beads arranged in series of ten and each series separated by a single bead which is spaced from the series beads a greater distance than is each of such series to its fellow. The described arrangement is of endless form and at an appropriate point there is connected to the chain a short length which terminates in a crucifix or cross, there being a bead next adjacent the crucifix and spaced therefrom and in close arrangement three beads with an intervening space and a fourth bead which is itself spaced from the endless chain. Upon the crucifix and the five beads on the depending length prayers introductory to the Rosary are said.

It is the object of my invention to provide a chaplet especially adapted to instruction.

In the drawings, Figure l shows a chaplet embodying my invention. Figure 2 shows one of the directional elements removed. Figure 3 is an enlargement of the connecting piece.

According to custom some of the mysteries hereinbefore referred to are used for reflection on certain days of the week vand within penitential seasons and others upon other days and other seasons and as an aid to the novice I employ a number of flat elements which I call directional elements and upon each side of which I print or emboss or otherwise display an abbreviation indicating the information necessary to a correct telling of the beads. Upon the element 1 next adjacent the crucifix orcross I indicate that the Joyful Mysteries are to be reflected upon on Mondays and Thursdays, the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesdays and Fridays` and the Glorious Mysteries on Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. On the element 2 beyond the three beads A there is indicated the first of each of the three mysteries attending upon the first decade. In order that the novice may proceed in an orderly way and reach the decades in proper sequence I provide` the connecting bead 4 with an indicator 5 which is simply an elongation of the connecting beads and serves as a finger to direct the user. The Word start may be placed thereon if desired. Upon the faces of the piece 4 I may indicate the seasons of the year when certain of the mysteries are appropriate. It is to the end of the indicator 5 that the chain upon which the beads are strung is fastened. The next spacing element 6 contains the abbreviations for the second of each of the mysteries, and this sequential arrangement is continued upon the elements 7, 8, and 9.

It will be understood that I have provided a simple arrangement of directional elements in conjunction with a chaplet and one readily comprehensive. as well that the means for indicating the direction for the user is easily understood.

l claim as my invention:

ing piecefbetween the first and last of saidve decades having an indicator projecting from one portion of said connecting plece to direct the user in telling the beads, and a series of directional elements spacing said dcoades.

2. In a chaplet including a cross, a serles of beads and introductory directional elements adjacent said beads, and tive decades, a connecting piece to which said cross, series l of beads and introductory directional elements are attached, such beads Eoi'min the connection between the first and last o said five decades, an indicator projecting from one portion of said connecting piece in the direction of the first decade to direct the user in telling the beads, and a series of directional elements spacing said decades.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

,enannne W. Boomen. 

